Pipe bending assemblage



Sept 16,1941. E. M. PFAUEIQER g 2,255,985

} Pi'PE BENDING ASSEMBLAGE 4 Filed Nov. 27} 1939 VENTOR elongated bodies which is safely operated by a novice,

Patented Sept. 16, l

az ssye zssssss rrrn ammo assoc Edward M. Planner, Elm Grove, Wis, r to Blackhawk Mtg. 00., Milwaukee, Wis, a coration or Wisco Application Nr 27, less, Serial No. assess I 2 Claims. (01. ass-sci The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art or laterally distorting elongated structural or tubular elements, and relates more specifically to various'improvements in the construction and operation or portable assemblages, for bending pipes, tubes, -I-beams, angle beams, channel beams, or the like.

A general object of my present invention is to provide an improved bending assemblage for simple and durable in construction, and which is moreover readily manipulable and highly effective in use.

Some of the more important specific objects oi I my invention are as i'ollows:

To provide improved pipe or beam bending or straightening mechanism which i conveniently and eiiiciently operable with the aid a fluid pressure actuated Jack such as a hydraulic ram.

To provide a new and useful pipe distorting assemblage which can be quickly applied to relatively inaccessible pipes or beams and which may be actuated from a'more accessible remote point or station. v

To provide an improved portable tool for bending or straightening tubular or beam-like elongated elements such as pipes or structural beams.

which is light but sturdy in construction and can I be conveniently transported To provide an improved mechanism for laterally distorting elongated objects, and which will most efiectively cooperate with such objects having various cross=sections and diameters.

To provide an improved pipe or beam bender, or the like, which is operable in any desired direction, and which will work the same regardless of its position.

To provide an improved mounting for tube and pipe bending machines or the like, whereby the unit may be rolled along the ground.

To provide an improved pipe bending attachment for power Jacks, various parts oi which are readily adjustable to perform diirerentoperations and to most etlectively cooperate with conduits of large and small diameter.-

To provide an improved bender for rod-like elements, which requires no special tools for operation thereof and for adjustment of its parts.

' like, and also an improved plunger head cooperaother improvements in the ble with the bl.

To provide various construction or pipe bender-s or th like whereby the cost of manufacture thereof is minimized and the efllciency is enhanced.

These and other specific objects and advantages of. my present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception or an embodiment of the invention, and 01' the mode of constructing and of utilizing pipe bending assemblages made in acfrom place to place. a

cordance with the improvement, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part 01 this specification wherein like reference characters designate the' parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a side perspective view of one of'my improved pipe bending attachments mociated with a hydraulic power system comprising a ram and a pump for delivering liquid from a supply reservoir to the ram;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view oi. the bending attachment and ram of Fig. 1, looking towatid the pipe engaging and transporting elemen Fig. 3 is a further enlarged transverse section taken through one or the pipe engaging'corner blocks; and 1 Fig. 4 is a part sectional side elevation or one of my improved corner blocks mounted upon its supporting pin.

While I have shown the specifically to a portable and hydraulically actuated assemblage which has been designated as a pipe bender, it is not the intent to thereby invention applied improvement; and the hydraulic system specifically shown and only partially described herein,

To provide a pipe bendingassemblage which mountings ior a pipe bender assemblage or the is'of the type disclosed in my granted July-11, 1939, wherein the hydraulic ram has a cylinder and a plunger both provided with screw threadsat their corresponding ends, cooperable with threaded sockets oropenings in detachable tool elements.

Referring to the drawing, my improved pipe bending assemblage comprises in general an approximately triangular rigid frame f 8 having laterally spaced permanently and firmly attached to a ram mounting block it at the apex or the triangle, and also having two series of alined holes H near the triangle base but extending away irom the adjacent corners and toward a central point remote from the base line: a ram l2 having an outer cylinder same or similar Patent No. 2,165,504,

similar opposite side plates 48 z to withstand the-enormous pressures section of a pipe,

with the external curvature of the pipe.

element l3 one end of which is detachably secured as by screw threads to a central bore ll piercing l0, and also having an inner movablelongitudinally within IS; a pipe engaging head or secured as byscrew threads to the outer end of-the ram plunger element and being movable between the. frame side plates 9; and a pair of similar rotatably adjustable pipe engaging comer blocks l6 of special construction, each carried by a supporting pin i'l cooperable with a selected set'of alined holes inclined series. I

The triangular bender frame 8 may be constructed either as se be\welded or otherwise rigidly united, or the side plates 9 may be formed integral with the block In; and the plates 9 are preferably disposed parallel to each other and should be the frame block plunger element the cylinder element saddle l detachably to which they may be subjected. The side plates 9 may also be provided with local lugs l8 of suflcient height to prevent damage to or the pins I] when the frame 8 is allowed to rest on its side; and the holes H of thetwo oppositely inclined series may be provided with identifying marks or numerals 19 as shown in Fig. 2,} which designate the proper location of the pins ll when bending pipes of different diameters. The disposition of the holes H for cooperation with various size pipes,

of the pipes without denting or deforming the circular cross sections. i 3 The hydraulic ram l2 with which the improved attachment is detachably associable, should preferably be readily controllable and operable from a remote point, and this may be accomplished with a jack or ram system such as shown in Fig-l. The displacement chamber within the cylinder iii of the ram I2 is connected by means of a flexible cbnduit20 with a pump 2| having .a liquid supply reservoir 22 therewith, and

indicated/the ram and connecting conduit 20 may shown in my frame 8 and saddle l5 which are relatively movable by the hydraulic ram l2, may be detachably but firmly secured to the ram cylinder l3 and to. the ram plunger, respectively, by means of jscrew threads formed concentric with-the ram (axis. It is noteworthy that the use of a hyqdraulic ram l2, ratherthan .a mechanical jack ioperable by screw threads, will always cause the ira-me 8 and saddle l5 to move relatively to each other only along the axis of the ram I2 ll of the two rate pieces which maysufiiciently thick displacement of is important, in. order to produce most effective lateral bending associated directly I Patent No. 2,165,504; and the are mounted concentrically of the holes ii corresponding to operation ans 4 inch tube or pipe, and the recess 24' of the saddle I! should in thiscase correspond in transverse curvature, approximately with the transverse external curvature of a 4 inch pipe. 1f the spaced blocks l8 are shifted to cooperate with the holes ll marked 2, then the saddle I! should be replaced by one having a recess 2i properly curved to coact'with the exterior of a 2 inchpipe. The sets of holes II which are nearest each other, may be utilized to bend both 1 and 1% inch pipes, but different blocks l6 having p'rop'erly curved recesses should then be used.

5 The-corner blocks I! are furnished in sets adapted to properly coact with tulie's and beams of diflerent shapes and sizes, 'ai'i one type of these rotatably adjustable pipe engaging corner blocks 16 and their mountings, is shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. Each set of these blocks l6 by virtue of the special construction and other sizes of pipes, may one of the recesses 26 may block [8 in favor of a flat surface adapted to coact with flat surfaces of bea'mssuch as angle 40 gage its carrier pin hubs 21 which iit snugly between M ing insertion -of the pin;

and

, without tending to rotate' the saddle relative to cess 24 should at least It is 1 saddles i5 as there are sets of holes ll pro- 1 vided in 'the side plates 9 of the triangular frame 8. For example in the assemblage shown in Fig. 2, the pipe engaging corner blocks 16 during lateral bending therei 1 of, the transverse curvature, of the saddle reapproximately conform 26 are such that mounting thereof, maybe utilized to bend tubes and beams of various external diameters and shapes. As shown, each of'the blocks l6 has four curved recesses 26 all havingdiflerent curvature', but the bottoms of all 'of which are disposed equidistantfrom the axis of the block IS. The transverse curvatures of the recesses the recess surfaces will approximately fit pipes of the diameters designated by the numerals i9 at the holes II; and by inj clining the series of holes I! toward the jack cylinder l3, no

results in contacting pipes of different diamloss of stroke of the ram plunger Another set of .blocks l6 adapted to fit also be provided, and be omitted on each eters.

bars, I-beams or-channel beams.

Each block l6 l1, and is provided with end the side plates 9 of the frame 8. The removable block supporting pins ll are also of like andfinterchangeable construction, and each of these pins I! has a preferably extend outwardly tapers 29. Each pin' I1 is moreover provided with a stop ring 30 for limiting its travel durand also has a friction ball 3|. confined in'a'socket thereof and urged outwardly by a spring32', so as toretain the pin II in place. The pins II are readily insertible within and removable from the holes ll of the frame 8 and the central bores of the blocks I6, and these blocks may be rotated about the pin axes so as permit'the pipe bendingassemblage to be readily transported, I also provide circular disks 33 either coacting with the hubs 21 or formed integral with the blocks l6, and these disks 33 serve as transporting wheels in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

During normal use of the improved pipe bend- I be attached to the plunger of the ram' I2 which is bored centr'ally to snugly enbeyond the pin to bring any selected set of grooves 26 into operative relation with the saddle l5. In order to block ill at the threaded operator should is provided with screw threads for that purpose. The pipe to be bent should then be placed inside of the frame 8 between the side plates 9, in contact with the groove 24 of the saddle I5, while the jack plunger is fully withdrawn or retracted. The pivot blocks [6 should then be positioned with the aid of the pins H, in the proper sets of alined holes II, and the blocks 16 should be rotated to cause the proper grooves 26 thereof to face the previously inserted pipe. The release valve of the pump 2| should then be closed and by manipulating the handle 23, liquid from the reservoir 22 may be forced by the pump 2! through the pipe into the displacement chamber of the ram cylinder 83. This admission of liquid under pressure will cause the saddle 85 to move outwardly and to force the pipe into engagement with the spaced blocks Hi. Continued application of pressure to the ram plunger will cause the pipe to bend, and as the bending proceeds the blocks l6 will rotate slightly about the axes of the pins ll. By this procedure bends of 90 degrees may beproduced in pipes of various sizes, and when a bend has been completed, the release valve of the pump 25 may be operated so as to retract theplunger and the saddle l5 associated therewith. The bent pipe may then be either withdrawn endwise from within the frame 8, or the blocks I6 may be removed and thepipe bender may thereafter bewithdrawn laterally from the pipe,

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that my present invention provides an improved pipe bending assemblage which is simple and durable in construction and which may be readily manipulated fr'oma point remote from the bending assemblage. The use of a hydraulic ram for operating the pipe bending elements is especially advantageous, since it permits the application of great force without tending to rotate the saddle l5 about the jack axis. The saddle i5 is, however, free to rotate about this axis so as to cause the same to automatically aline itself with the pipe or object being operated upon. The improved construction of the reaction block l6 with the grooves 26 spaced equidistance from the block axis, provides a strong block construction capable of resisting enormous pressures. The mounting for the blocks 16 also permits ready removal and insertion' thereof with respect to the various sets of holes II, and the inclined disposition of the series of holes ll permits most effective bending of pipes having various diameters without loss of stroke of the ram plunger. The rigid frame 8 is also extremely desirable since it maintains the corner blocks I6 in any fixed predetermined position with respect to the ram l2, and insures formation of perfect bends. The transportation disks 33 do not interfere with the normal adjustment of the blocks l6, but greatly facilitate transportation of the unit from place to place, and the entire assemblage may obviously be furnished to the trade in neatly packed condition in boxes or chests. The various partsof the assemblage are readily adjustable to perform the definite operations desired, most efiectively, and the mechanism will obviously cooperate with various types of elongated bodies such as tubes, flat or cylindrical bars, structural beams of various cross-sections, and other bodies having sizes within the range or operation of the tool. The improved pipe bender has proven highly successful in actual commercial use, and can be manufactured and sold at extremely moderate cost.

It should be understood that it is not intended to limit this invention'to the exact-details of construction or to the precise mode of use, herein shown and described, for various modifications may occur to persons skilled in the art, and the term pipe" as used herein is intended to cover any elongated object whether tubular or solid, and regardless of its cross-sectional size or shape.

I claim:

1. A pipe bending assemblage comprising, a small portable ram having a cylinder and a plunger movable within the cylinder both provided with externally screw threaded corresponding ends, flexible conduit means for delivering fluid under pressure to said cylinder to move said plunger while permitting universal movement of the ram, a frame having a hub provided with internal screw threads adapted for attachment to said cylinder end threads and being provided with integral approximately parallel and triangular side plates each having series of holes extending toward the corners thereof remote from said hub, parallel pins cooperable with selected alined holes of said side plates, a pipe engaging block rotatably supported by each of said pinsand having integral parallel circular opposite side flanges separated byan annular series of pipe contacting grooves of different curvature all spaced equi-distant from the axis of the corresponding supporting pin, and a pipe bending saddle movable outwardly between said blocks by said ram and having internal screw threads adapted for attachment to said plunger end threads, the entire assemblage being invertible and transportable while utilizing said circular block flanges as supporting wheels and said ram as a handle.

2. A pipe bending assemblage comprising, a small portable ram having a cylinder and a plunger movable within the cylinder both provided with screw threaded corresponding ends, flexible conduit means for delivering fluid under pressure to said cylinder to move said plunger while permitting universal movement of the ram, 8. frame having a hub provided with screw threads adapted for attachment to said cylinder end threads and being provided with integral approximately parallel and triangular side plates each having series of holes extending toward the movable outwardly between said blocks by said ram and having screw threads adapted for attachment to said plunger end threads, the entire assemblage being invertible and transportable while utilizing said circular block flanges as supporting wheels and said ram as a handle.

EDWARD M. PFAUSER. 

